The Reunion
by loveanswersall
Summary: Really? A High School Reunion? How cheesy can they get? There was no way she was going. She was the CEO of a major company, damn it; she didn't have time for silly reunions and petty small talk. And yet here she was riding on 6 hour flight to her stupid high school reunion. I can't believe I'm going… Rated M for language and sexual situations
1. Chapter 1: Invitations

Disclaimer: I do not own Hey Arnold! or any of the characters mentioned in this story!

Chapter 1

**Helga**

The San Bernardino Mountains gave shape to the horizon outside of the vast window of Helga's office; she leaned against her desk drinking in the sight of the sunlit city, her home for the past 13 years.

_Time definitely flies…_ she thought to herself as she sipped her morning coffee. In this short amount of time not even she expected she would make it this far. Big Bob's Beepers had expanded across the country, and was now one of the leading distributers of electronics in North America; and here she was, the CEO of her father's company. After years of living in her sister's shadow, feeling neglected and angry, she finally had the approval she had been starving for her whole entire life.

In spite of this she knew deep down if Olga would have chosen to move to California with the rest of the family then she would have had this position in a heartbeat; but her sister chose to stay in the city to marry her high school sweetheart.

_How naïve. _

She was too soft for the job anyway. Being the CEO took a fire that she has had since birth; being in charge was her thing and failure was not an option. She had the lady balls to help make this company something her father could be proud of.

This quiet moment wouldn't last; there was a new budget to be made, partnerships to form, team members to hire and fire. By the stunning view beneath her gaze it was hard to believe that a stress packed day was in her near future.

As if on cue, at that moment, the phone rang violently penetrating the silence.

"What is it, Farah?" Helga snapped at her intern as she answered phone.

"Oh- um…Miss Pataki, I've picked up your mail as you've asked," Farah stammered nervously.

"Great, send it up with the outlines for the new budget, and fast; we have no time to waste."

"Sending!" Farah responded. Helga would never say it out loud to her young intern but she was strangely comforted by how much she reminded her of her childhood friend. She was even considering promoting her to her personal assistant permanently.

In less than five minutes her stack of mail was on her desk. She sorted through it like she would any other day until she came across an envelope with an address she had not seen in 13 years.

_Criminy. _

**Arnold**

"You're a bold kid Arnold…"

Arnold looked up from his beer to see his best friend on the other side of the counter washing his final glass in the bar.

"You really thought I couldn't pull it off? Hah I'm starting to think you haven't been paying attention for the past 27 years," he said.

" I'll admit, I had my doubts at first, but I think I'm starting to like the idea the more I think about it: PS118 10 year reunion at _Gerald's Spot: _the hottest bar in the city! Man, the ladies are gonna love it!" Gerald's massive hair shook with excitement as he spoke, and he looked around truly proud of his establishment.

Arnold took another sip of the ice cold beer. "It's gonna be great, I know it. I mean, I can't even remember the last time we've had the whole gang together; I can't wait to see how everyone's doing."

"Yea, I guess, I just know this is gonna be great for business. So how were you guys able to get in contact with everyone anyway?"

"Curly." Arnold replied, which was the only explanation needed at that point. "Everything is close to finished, Lila and I have taken care of it all…"

"Mmm…I bet you have," Gerald interrupted giving Arnold a suggestive look, "You guys have been working _very _closely these days…strictly reunion stuff I'm sure."

"Oh come on, Gerald, it's not like that," Arnold said, "and even if it was, I don't want to make a move until I know she's over Arnie. He really hurt her and I don't want to be her rebound, I want her to want me for me."

Gerald let out a sigh, "Whatever you say man… just know, you gotta let me know when you hit that."

Of course he would say that as soon as Arnold was in the middle of a massive drink, which he sprayed all over the clean counter of the bar. Un-phased by the mess, Gerald sat the last cup down and began to mop up the puddle.

"Yea, on that note, I think it's time for me to get back to the boarding house… I've gotta be around to collect the rent and all."

"Uh huh, yea, suuuuure…."

The two best friends exchanged their usual hand shake, and Arnold made his way out of _Gerald's Spot._ Whether it was the beer or his unending excitement for this reunion, he rode the bus home with spirits higher than Mighty Pete.


	2. Chapter 2: Moving On

Disclaimer: As I'm sure you understand, I still do not own _Hey Arnold _or any of these awesome characters.

Chapter 2

**Helga **

Really? A High School Reunion? How cheesy can they get?

There was no way she was going. She was the CEO of a major company, damn it; she didn't have time for silly reunions and petty small talk. And yet here she was riding on 6 hour flight to her stupid high school reunion.

_I can't believe I'm going…_ she thought. Even now she did not understand why, she only spent her freshman year at PS 118 High; and in her time there she was a tomboyish, mild mannered, awkward looking bully which made her confused that they even invited her. So why was she on this plane? She reasoned with herself that she was only going because Phoebe called and claimed she would be going as well; deep down she knew this wasn't true. Yes, she was looking forward to seeing Phoebe again and truly missed her best friend, but this was not it.

She had another hunch but it was silly, that was years ago… it couldn't be, she was beyond over that. She was 28 years old, she left those childish things in the past and now here she was running back to it like a love sick fool. Her head was pressed against the cool window where she could see that the plane was submerged into a cloud as she began to descend into the world of her past.

**Arnold**

Thinking about what Gerald said, more or less, Arnold thought that maybe it was time for him to take things to the next level with Lila. It's been almost a year since her nasty break up with Arnie, and he had stuck with her and supported her through everything. Then again he had every right to be hesitant; catching the love of her life in bed with Hilda had a horrible toll on her self esteem and trust. Only she would know when she's ready to move on, he was just hoping she would move on with him.

PS 118 was ready to shut down, and Arnold quickly said goodbye to the rest of the guidance counselors and made his way over to Lila's classroom. Arnold peered through the window to see her sitting at her desk probably grading the last of her papers. Her dark red hair framed her face like an auburn veil and she wore a simple yet stunning dress that did wonders for her figure in a way that was not revealing but incredibly sexy.

He'd only realized that he had been gawking at her when she finally noticed him and excitedly motioned for him to come in. Now embarrassed he sheepishly stepped inside of her classroom.

"Arnold, I'm ever so sorry! I lost track of time, how long have you been waiting for me?"

"Not long at all," he replied, relieved she seemed un-phased by his previous creeper session in the window, "you take all the time you need."

"Nope I was just finishing up; I couldn't live with myself if I kept you waiting any longer."

Silence dominated the car as Arnold drove her home. While he kept a casual composure, he could not help but wonder what she was thinking as she stared blankly out the window. The car came to a halt as they approached her humble apartment.

"Thank you ever so much for driving me home, Arnold. You have always been such an amazing person."

Arnold smiled weakly, slightly mesmerized by her spicy green eyes; he's driven her home every day since she got her teaching job, and as always she was gracious, polite, thanked him and left. This time, however, she leaned in to Arnold and wrapped her arms around him in a sweet embrace. It took him a few moments too long to realize that he was too dumb stricken to hug her back, because in a moment's notice she let go of him and headed towards her door.

She was perfect in every way; Arnold waited to make sure she made it inside safely, then she turned around one last time and said to him, "Good night Arnie," Not realizing her mistake, she made her way inside.

Unable to prevent himself from deflating, Arnold drove as far away as he could.

_Later that day..._

"Man what did I tell you?" Gerald exclaimed handing Arnold his afternoon drink. Arnold reached into his pocket to pay when Gerald said, "Naw man, this one's on the house, it looks like you need it."

Arnold didn't know how to respond, maybe it was time to move on; a thought he hated to think about.

Gerald continued, "For whatever reason, nice guys _always _finish last…Ladies love a man who takes an aloof approach. The less you care the more into you they get, even if it means you're a jerk."

"Gerald, that doesn't make any sense."

_Ding Dong! _The bell sounded as another customer came in. It was Maria; the beautiful Latina Arnold took to the dance in the 4th grade. She wore a form fitting fuchsia top with a trendy pair of white skinny jeans; her presence caused many interested looks from the bar. All except Gerald who resumed cleaning the glasses as if he had no idea she was there.

Maria approached the bar with a thick air of confidence. She quickly acknowledged Arnold with a nod and waited for Gerald to notice her. To her annoyance, Gerald resumed cleaning the glasses not even looking up once.

"Excuse me," she said in her calm and sultry voice.

Gerald resumed his cleaning.

"Ehem!" she then demanded losing her patience.

Gerald still resumed cleaning with his back turned to her.

This time Arnold spoke, "Um, Gerald, I think you have another customer."

Still looking indifferent, Gerald finally turned around, "Oh, Maria, I didn't know you were here. What can I do you for?"

Maria looked stunned and appeared to be looking at Gerald as if she's seen him for the first time. Fighting the urge not to giggle she said "I'll take a margarita, on the rocks…with salt."

Still showing no interest in her at all he replied, "Coming right up."

In an impressive display of flips and tricks Maria's margarita was shaken and served; the drink itself was beautiful but Maria looked more interested in the man who served it.

"Wow, Gerald, I never knew you could do that…" she took the drink and took a deep sip not breaking eye contact with him as she drank.

"There's a lot you don't know about me senorita…I get close shop at two, if you stick around maybe I can let you find out more."

Arnold couldn't believe she would let him talk to her like that; he was equally shocked when she said, "I'll see you there, guapo." And with that she was gone.

Arnold shook his head, "Yea I'm pretty sure 'aloof' is not my style."

"Suit yourself, it landed me with a hottie," he replied with his eyes now tracing Maria's figure.

"I want more than a hot girl Gerald, and there used to be a time where you did too. What happened to you?"

"Oh no, Arnold! Don't you go pulling your whole guidance counselor voodoo on me, this has nothing to do with me; this has everything to do with you and Lila."

He turned around and continued to wash the glasses, and when he was done he started to clean over the ones that were already clean. Arnold watched his friend choking back the words he wanted to say.

After an uncomfortable moment of silence between them with nothing left but the sound of chattering of customers behind them and smooth jazz bursting from the speakers, Arnold finally said this, "No matter how many women you pick up, it's not gonna make your feelings for Phoebe go away."

Gerald didn't respond.

"Anyways, man, I gotta get out of here soon; but think about it, I know you were hurt, but the minute you stop sleeping around and actually deal with what happened I think you'll be happy again…I'm only saying this because I'm your friend."

"Alright… see ya at the reunion."


	3. Chapter 3: Change

Disclaimer: _Hey Arnold! _and the geniuses who created the show do not belong to me nor do these spectacular characters.

Chapter 3

**Helga**

The tall, humble, brick building hovered over her like a shameful memory.

"Phoebe, are you sure that you wanna stay here?" it took every ounce of effort Helga had not to sound frantic.

"Why not?" Phoebe said, "It's Arnold's boarding house, I'm certain that he would let us stay here for a reasonable price."

"You're probably right, but erm, don't you wanna stay at a hotel? We can find a nice one and pamper ourselves, on me!"

Phoebe's eyes narrowed. "I fail to understand what the big deal is Helga; we'll only be here for a weekend."

"Our first weekend together in years, you sure you wanna spend it at this dump?"

"Helga, this is _silly_," Phoebe said, "I'm knocking on the door."

"Wait!"

_Knock, Knock, Knock!_ Phoebe hammered her tiny fist against the door; Helga was almost tempted to run.

_Criminy. _It was too late; without further adieu, the door creaked open to reveal a tall raven haired woman wearing a red sweater and black pants.

"Can I help you?" her crude, arrogant tone of voice brought so many memories to Helga and she finally realized that they were speaking to Rhonda.

"Yes," Phoebe said, "Is your landlord present?"

Rhonda shook her head, "No, I'm afraid not. He left for _Gerald's Spot_ about an hour ago. You could come in if you'd…"

Her sentence trailed off and Rhonda began to stare at Phoebe curiously.

"Phoebe?" she exclaimed with a new excitement, "Oh my God it_ is_ you; I hardly recognized you without your glasses! Is this your life partner? I'm proud of anyone brave enough to come out of the closet; nice to meet you I'm Rhonda!"

Some things never change… Oblivious to the outraged looks from the two girls on the doorstep her hand was now extended to Helga for a handshake.

Hurrying before Helga showed this girl a piece of her mind Phoebe quickly interjected, "Hello, Rhonda, good to see you again; you look well. And this isn't my life partner, this is actually Helga."

Rhonda stared at the pair of them blankly. "Helga? Helga who?"

This time Helga answered, "G. Pataki, and I see_ you _haven't changed a bit."

"G. Pataki?" Rhonda began to mull it over, "You've got to be kidding me; am I being Punk'd? The Helga I remember had a horrible fashion sense, an enormous unibrow, _hideous _hair, and was absolutely hostile!"

"You better watch it, fancy, maybe the hostile part hasn't changed…"

"Oh?" Rhonda retorted raising an eyebrow, "No need to be hasty. Anyways, I'm sure Arnold will be back shortly from the bar, he's never out too late. Come on inside, I'll make us a pot of coffee."

**Arnold **

A night after realizing the person you like doesn't like you back, and irritating your best friend can make a person really happy to be back home. Arnold paid the cab fair and headed toward the porch, very ready to collapse on the couch. He entered the boarding house, the warm smell of coffee wafted in the air and he could hear voices coming from the kitchen.

"Well, I've been married to Sid for 3 years now," Arnold recognized Rhonda's voice immediately, "and we started living here right after our marriage."

"Oh how sweet," a second softer voice emerged from the kitchen, "Where is he at now?"

"Oh he's at _Gerald's Spot_; he's been working there since it opened."

"Bout time he got a job," another voice chimed in, "oh come on I'm just joking, Rhonda, I'm proud of the guy."

When Arnold came into the kitchen he found Rhonda and two other women sitting around the table with coffee and fresh muffins. The first woman was Asian, and shorter than the other two. She had long black hair that was put up into a messy ponytail and was wearing a dark blue summer dress. The next woman was a stunning young woman with vibrant blonde hair that came down to her shoulders and was loosely curled. She wore a simple outfit of jean shorts and a white button up top that was slightly too big for her with the top two buttons left open. She was the first to notice him, and when her chocolate brown eyes traced over him she almost looked startled, but eventually her ruby red lips curled up into a sideways smirk.

"Well look who finally decided to show up," the blonde one said, still smirking.

Arnold looked around the table now confused, things finally began to make sense when the blonde continued, "Good to see you again…football-head."


	4. Chapter 4: Things Resurface

Disclaimer: _Hey Arnold! _is not mine nor are the characters; like almost anyone else with a pulse I just love the show and was inspired by it.

Chapter 4 

**Helga**

Ready or not Helga was left with no choice but to face her fears. Who was to say this situation was that bad anyway? They were adults now, and she intended to act as such. So what, he was standing in the same room as her looking absolutely delicious in his plaid button up shirt with his wild blonde hair slicked back. She found him attractive that's it; you can be attracted to someone and not head over heels right? Besides she didn't know this man anymore, and he didn't know her…so why in the world did she still feel this way?

"Wow," he finally said after wiping that stunned look off his face, "Helga? Phoebe? It's so good to see you; I wasn't sure you guys were gonna make it. So what can I do for you?"

"Well actually," Phoebe said, "Helga and I were looking for a place to stay just for the weekend for the reunion and we were wondering if you had any spare rooms we could stay in if it's not too much."

"Absolutely not," Arnold said, "We have a guest room on the first floor, if that's okay with you. I'll just have to make sure everything is decent in there."

"That should work very nicely Arnold," Phoebe replied, "and how much will you be charging?"

Arnold shook his head, "You guys are old friends, it's on me. Make yourselves at home, and if you need anything you know where my room is."

"Arnold, your too kind."

A smile lit his face, "It's nothing, really. Well I guess I'll go take care of that. I'll let you know as soon as your room is ready."

Helga's heart fluttered violently in her chest as he walked away. He was still just the same, so kind, selfless and ready to help absolutely anyone at the drop of a dime; even the likes of her.

_Later that night_

"Can you believe it?" Phoebe said as the pair of them got ready for bed, "Sid and Rhonda?"

"I know right," Helga responded as she put up her hair, "I wonder how that spoiled princess ended up living in a dump like this; you would think daddy dearest would have bout the new couple a fancy mansion for Pete's sake."

The two best friends nearly shook the room with their laughter.

"Phoebe, it is _so _good to see you again," Helga said after catching her breath, "So how has the Peace Corps been anyway?"

Phoebe's face lit up, "Stupendous," she said nearly dancing over to her bed, "I never knew there was so much to learn about the world, I want to see it all!"

Helga couldn't help but smile, "That's good to hear, Phoeb's, and you look fantastic."

"Why, thank you Miss Pataki," she said tossing back her black locks, "having to ride a mountain bike everywhere makes it fairly easy to stay fit."

The two caught up for what seemed for hours, the room was filled with laughter and they couldn't care less if anyone was sleeping.

Finally Helga asked, "So what about Gerald?"

Phoebe's smile vanished, "What about him?" she snapped.

"Well, if I wasn't mistaken when you wrote me your senior year, you told me that you two were an item."

Phoebe sighed, "Well, after the prom he and I finally decided to be a couple; but then I went off to college and I promised I would come back for him when I graduated, but then I got accepted into the Peace Corps and I just couldn't pass that up…"

"It's a good thing you didn't Phoebe."

Phoebe nodded, and almost with hesitation she said, "And what of you and Arnold?"

The question hit Helga like a bolt of electricity, "What are you talking about?"

"Helga, no offense, but I was born a genius. Did you think I didn't know this whole time that he was the object of your affections?"

Helga was too stunned to speak.

"You spent the majority of your life here making his life a living hell, that stuff isn't rocket science…and not to boast, but I do happen to be familiar with rocket science."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Helga finally said.

"You seemed so adamant on keeping it a secret; I just figured I'd play along."

Helga sat down on her bed, "Well you're right. I've loved him for as long as I could remember… It has been so long since she spoke those words out loud…in the moment of silence that followed she couldn't help but feel something was missing afterwards…awkward.

Shaking it off she continued, "It's pathetic; even after all these years, knowing him has made it hard to fall for anyone else. Arnold was one of the only people who saw me for who I really was; not the mean, obnoxious, tomboy; the only person in the world I knew who could care about someone not for what they do, or how they live, but care about them just because they were them…but that was a long time ago, and plus I live so far away. Maybe it's for the better…"

Helga almost forgot the Phoebe was in the room, when she looked up the silly girl had tears in her eyes, "Th-that was beautiful, Helga…" she said.

"Ah! No need to be a sap, Phoeb's, let's just go to bed…"

"Going!" she replied; and with that, the lights went out.

**Arnold**

Arnold stared at the ceiling from the comfort of his bed. He had been so tired when he first got home, but thanks to the new guests, sleep wasn't coming so easily. He thought about telling Gerald that Phoebe was in town, but based on the talk they just had he figured Gerald might not want to hear about that tonight. And it wasn't the explosive laughter coming from the room below keeping him up that night; the real thing keeping him up in fact was _Helga. _

He just let Helga G. Pataki stay the night at his boarding house, and the crazy thing was he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

_This is normal, _he reasoned with himself, _I just found out the woman I liked for years, is still in love with my cousin; of course I would try to find a rebound even if it is Helga G. Pataki…_

Then why was it that he could not get her smile out of her head?

Another roar of laughter thundered from the room below; it was almost exactly as he remembered it: perfectly imperfect; a vicious cackle. When she wasn't doing it as a result of some form of torture it was actually…nice.

Wow. He _really _needed to think about something else. The reunion. Just one more day away. One full day with Helga in his boarding house…

_Damn it! Okay let's try that again…_

One more day to not think about Lila, one more day to see all his friends together again; just like he planned for, just as he'd pictured it.

The room grew quieter and Arnold noticed the laughter from below subsided as well; before he knew it he was fast asleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Exposure

Disclaimer: I do not own _Hey Arnold! _or any of these characters.

Chapter 5

**Helga**

A sliver of sunlight crept through the dusty window, waking Helga from her significantly pleasant dreams. Sleeping under the same roof as Arnold wasn't as distracting as she pictured it. Little did everyone else know this wasn't the first time; the last time she was in Arnold's closet waiting for the perfect moment to steal her diary back.

_Gosh I had some serious issues…at least I have a bed this time. _

Still half asleep, she glanced over to see that Phoebe's bed was empty. Her eyes then trailed over to the clock on the night stand in between the beds to see that it was already 11 o'clock.

_Criminy, 11 already? Damn jetlag… _

She reluctantly climbed out of bed as ready as she'd ever be for the day ahead. Still half asleep, Helga deliriously left the room to take a much needed shower; by the time she realized she hadn't brought a change of clothes with her it was too late so her towel would have to do.

On her way back to the guest room she ran into Phoebe in the hallway dressed in a short, strapless, clingy red dress, and matching stilettos.

_Pretty fancy for a girls day out but I guess I can step it up too._

"First day back in the city, and I am more than ready for a girls day out; just you, me and being endlessly pampered by the minute. Phoebe you and I are gonna be the hottest ladies at the reunion I guarantee. Are you ready? I'm a little underdressed if you catch my drift, but I'll be quick. "

Phoebe stopped dead in her tracks throwing Helga a sincerely apologetic expression, "Don't be mad…" she said.

"You're not going."

"I'm sorry Helga," Phoebe said, "Gerald called this morning and said he wanted to talk…"

Helga took a moment to review Phoebe's outfit, "Oh, right, I should have known; that's what I would wear too if I wanted to 'talk'. And I thought you were mad at Gerald, why the sudden change of heart?"

"It's been years since I've seen him, and I want to hear him out…" Phoebe explained, "It would be silly to hold a grudge, I'd like to stay friends if we can."

"Oh yea, and when he sees you in that, I'm sure he'll be thinking: 'Well golly gee willikers I just really want to be this girls friend!'"

Phoebe opened her mouth to retort, but Helga then said, "Save it, Phoebe's, I get it; and I'm not mad. On the contrary I'm actually quite proud; I didn't know you had it in you."

Phoebe's face lit up, "Thanks Helga," she said starting to walk away, "Oh yea, and Helga?"

"What?"

"I might not be back tonight…"

Helga's eyes widened to about the size of golf balls, and both of them joined together in a symphony of laughter.

"Alright, Juliette, have fun, be safe; I gotta get some clothes on."

Still smiling Helga made her way back to the guest room.

_When did Phoebe become such a riot, _she thought to herself as she wriggled the doorknob.

It wouldn't turn. Frantically she wriggled it again…and again…and again. It was locked.

_Criminy how delirious was I when I woke up? _

Frustrated to the point of relentlessness, Helga decided that she was going to break down this door.

**Arnold**

"Arnold, I'm ever so sorry," he heard Lila say from the receiving end of the phone; he was starting to notice that this was how most of their conversations have been starting lately, "but I can't come by to decorate with you today…something came up."

A week ago Arnold had been looking forward to this whole day alone with Lila; he was surprised to discover that he was less disappointed than he thought he would be, "No worries, Lila, you've done so much already. This part should be a breeze to finish…Yes I'm sure. Alright. Bye."

So there went his plans for the day. 'Something came up'; something more important than him. He was tired of being second best to everything that came her way; and he was tired of thinking about it. It was time to focus on what was important: this reunion and making sure his old friends enjoy themselves to the fullest.

On the bright side, his conversation with Gerald this morning went extremely well. Arnold had to admit he was a little shocked Gerald chose not to take Maria home last night; and when he saw Phoebe heading out the door wearing a rather seductive dress in Gerald's favorite color he couldn't help but feel happy for them both.

_Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! _The noise violently emerged from below his feet.

"OW! DAMN IT!" a thunderous voice, bellowed shortly after.

_Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! _It continued.

Now adamant to see what the hell was going on Arnold decided he would take a trip downstairs.

**Helga **

The goddamn door wouldn't move; but Helga was too stubborn for that. She continued to hurl her entire body against the door with every hope that it would give way.

_Come on…_she coached herself.

_Thump! Thump! Thump! Thud…_

The _Thud…_ came with a breeze.

Of course… she lost grip of her towel and was now stark ass nude.

_Just fabulous… _

And just like her luck, when she turned around to pick it up, of course a dumb-founded Arnold would be standing in the hallway.

Without thinking, Helga screamed.

**Arnold **

Arnold didn't look…

…okay maybe just a little. He covered his eyes in respect but, come on; he was a guy, of course he looked.

Her slender waist formed an alluring bridge to her full breasts and round bottom; her skin slightly glistened with water and her wet hair was tussled in a wavy mess.

"Sorry!" he exclaimed, covering his eyes. "I thought someone needed help! Well you obviously need help- er- I mean- do you need help?"

"Absolutely not," she spat sarcastically, "I just fancy throwing myself at inanimate objects until I'm naked. And you can open your eyes, football head, the towels back on. My hideous body's officially out of sight."

Arnold's eyes flung open, "It wasn't hideous," she raised an eyebrow, "Not that I was looking or anything…I'm just gonna stop talking."

If there were any moment appropriate for the chirping of crickets, it would be this one right here.

"So uh, what happened?" Arnold asked breaking the silence.

"What do you think, Einstein? I went to the shower, forgot a change of clothes, and now I'm locked out of my room." She buried her face in her hands when she spoke, "I'm sorry, it's not your fault; I'm just a little frustrated with myself."

Arnold couldn't fight back the deer in the headlights stare.

"What?" she demanded, clutching her towel even tighter.

"Nothing," Arnold said, "It's just that this is the first time, you've ever apologized for snapping at me…"

He captured her beautiful brown eyes searching for any sign that this was not Helga Pataki; but these were the eyes he remembered…Her expression softened slightly as her eyes locked on to his…

Remembering it is rude to stare, Arnold asked, "So why didn't you just put your pajamas back on?"

Helga tossed her head back in frustration, "I'm an idiot," she said, " I left them in the bathroom, I just wasn't thinking. It's 3 hours earlier in California and I kinda woke up without my brain."

Arnold chuckled a little, "I tell you what, you can come up to my room and wear something of mine for now, and I'll get my tool kit and open this door for you."

While Arnold lent her his clothes out of the kindness of his heart, a bigger fraction of his motives were purely selfish. Nothing is sexier than a woman wearing your t- shirt. He found himself slightly jealous of the fabric that clung to her body; after seeing what it looked like underneath, who could blame him?

"Hey, Helga," he said with every effort to sound indifferent, "I almost got it."

"No rush," she replied, "Thanks again for lending me some clothes."

_No, thank _you, the dirty little horn dog in his head said.


	6. Chapter 6: Take a Shot

Disclaimer: I do not own _Hey Arnold!_ or any of the characters mentioned in the story. Outside of that I would like to clear up another thing as well. For all your diehard _Hey Arnold! _fans out there, it has been brought to my attention that Helga's eyes are indeed blue as mentioned in the "Married" episode... because I am a tool, I failed to remember that. For the sake of this story here, they will continue to be written as brown; if that bothers you I give you my full permission to mentally scribble out my poor description of her eyes and fabricate an even more awesome description of your own in your head. So with that, please forgive me, and I hope we can still be friends! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 6

**Arnold & Helga **

"Where you going, football head?"

Arnold turned away from the front door to see Helga reemerge from the guest room. She was wearing a loosely flowing pink top and a pair of denim shorts; her hair was dry and curled loosely like the day before and she was holding the clothes she had borrowed this morning.

"I've got to run over to the bar and finish the decorating for tomorrow. I'm sure it will take up most of the day," he replied.

Helga walked over handing him the clothes, "Hmm sounds like a blast," the statement was dripping with sarcasm, "do you need any help?"

Still not being used to this brand new Helga, made the question difficult to process. He was expecting to have a pair of extra hands today; a pair of extra hands, he reminded himself, that had something better to do.

"Sure, why not, Helga?" he said taking his clothes from her. Whether Lila was able to come or not, he could still use the extra help.

She had to hand it to tall-hair-boy, the bar was pretty cool. The interior design was modern and classy, with a warm and mellow color scheme of earthy browns and greens. The entire room was dimly lit from the top of the ceiling, to the pillars and platforms, as well as the dance floor and stage. The bar was lined with soft padded stools of an elegant emerald green; and above the bar an exquisite disco ball shaped chandelier hovered over their heads causing the entire room to shimmer.

Helga was appointed to put up pictures; they were to put a trail of pictures around the perimeter of every wall in the building, so that no matter where someone was headed in the bar they would be reminded of the good ol' days. The trail was framed with polished stones falling into the same natural color scheme of Gerald's Spot.

Helga glanced over from her work to see Arnold busying himself with setting up the photo booth.

"So… guidance counselor," Helga said still resuming her work, "very fitting."

Arnold looked up from the photo booth and his lips curled into a smile, "What makes you say that?"

"Oh come on, like you don't already know?"

"I already know why I chose to do it, I'm just curious as to why you think it's so fitting."

Oh so he was gonna make her say it.

"Well," she said, biting the bullet, "from what I noticed, you could never keep your nose out of other peoples' problems, even if they didn't want or think they needed your help."

Arnold smiled, "I can respect your opinion," he replied playfully, "and you, the CEO of Big Bob's Beepers…yea it's fitting, but you struck me more as the world domination type."

She couldn't help but laugh, "Hey, it's close enough!" she said in a teasingly defensive tone.

"Are you still writing?" Arnold asked her.

"Writing?"

"You kidding me? You always had the best writing assignments in class for as long as I could remember," he explained.

She couldn't believe she allowed herself to forget that.

They reminisced for hours, from the time they were stuck together in the subway, to the time they ran into each other when they were camping with their families, to the time they both went searching for the hidden treasure of Weezin' Ed. She was so easy to talk to in such a way that Arnold was more than sure that if she was willing to show this gentle side of her in the past, they would have been really close friends.

Not only did the ease of the conversation throw him off guard but also the realization that they have been through so much together. With all the memories of how she insisted on torturing him, it seemed he had overlooked all the positive things they have experienced together.

The things that used to bother him the most about Helga, he didn't mind so much anymore and something about that was strangely liberating. They were able to laugh at themselves and the past, and the more they spoke it felt more and more like instead of talking to a former bully, he was now speaking to a wonderful, charming, and exciting woman.

Unfortunately, at some point of the afternoon, their memories went dry and the two were left to silently finish their work.

A few minutes later, Arnold caught Helga mischievously inching her way over to the bar. In a swift and graceful movement she jumped over the table and allowed herself to go behind the counter where she began to rummage through the cabinets.

"Oh!" she exclaimed excitedly unveiling a decent sized bottle filled with a honey colored liquid. "This stuff's my favorite. Hey Arnold! You're working too hard; take a load off and have a drink with me…"

Arnold could see from a distance that she picked up a rare bottle of Four Roses Bourbon. "Um, Helga, I know Gerald isn't here but we shouldn't be drinking his liquor without paying him."

"Ahh come on, Arnold, tall-hair-boy'll get over it…live a little!"

"No, I just don't feel comfortable doing that Helga. No."

"What are ya, scared?"

"That's not gonna work."

"Fine. I have about five bottles of this over at my house in California; if it'll make you sleep better at night I promise that I will replace this bottle in a timely fashion when I get back. Deal?"

The word "no" tickled his mind, but his lips did not move. Helga's fingers drummed against the bottle and her lips curled up into a smirk while she waited for him to answer.

"Alright, fine. We'll do it this once," he said before he could even stop himself, "but you _have _to replace the bottle."

Her smirk intensified into a triumphant grin, "Deal."

As Arnold approached the table, Helga took out two shot glasses to accompany the lonely bottle of whiskey.

"The rules are simple," Helga explained filling the two shot glasses, "You either tell a fact or a lie about yourself, and then I guess if you are lying or telling the truth. If I'm wrong, I'll have to take a drink; and if I'm right, you'll have to take a drink."

And so the game began.

" When I was in the 4th grade my grandma and I broke into the aquarium and freed Lock Jaw."

"No way!" Helga retorted.

"Take a shot," Arnold said.

"What? So that's actually true?"

"Yea…I felt bad for him after our field trip so I told my grandma about it and we snuck in and set him free."

Helga let out a laugh, "So _that's _what happened to Lock Jaw… I was sure they just let him go on their own accord," she said; as promised she took a shot of whiskey as it allowed the world around her to spin.

"Pink was never my favorite color," she said not breaking eye contact.

Arnold said, "False."

"Take a shot," she demanded feeling tipsy already, "I only wore it so much because Miriam bought all my clothes as a child."

Arnold took the whiskey to the head.

"I've never had a crush on a teacher." He lied.

"Bullshit!" Helga spat, "What about that stupid Miss Felter? Take a shot!"

Arnold laughed, "How did you know about that?"

"It wasn't like a cared or anything…" Helga said, "and who didn't notice the way you spent all your time ogling her."

Arnold took his shot.

The game went on for hours and even though they weren't in their right mind, they found themselves learning more and more about the other.

"It's your turn Helga…" Arnold said.

She threw him a heavy look from the other side of the table and said, "I am definitely not happy to see you again."

This statement startled Arnold, maybe it was the booze but he found himself looking into those coffee colored eyes hoping with every fiber of his being that it wasn't true. He searched the colored orbs for any sign of weakness. When he found none, he found he couldn't answer immediately, but after a moment of scrambling his drunken thoughts and emotions he leaned in closer to Helga from the other side of the bar so that he was inches from her striking face.

"Well, Helga, if you feel anything like I do right now, then I would have to say that is a big, fat lie."

Helga grew weak as she sat there inches from his face; with every desire to take it in her hands and kiss him, she instead took the entire bottle to her lips and took a massive shot.


	7. Chapter 7: Vicious Circle

Disclaimer: I do not own _Hey Arnold! _or the characters. Nor do I own the song lyrics later quoted in the story.

Chapter 7 

**Helga & Arnold**

"Hey Arnold, guess what?" Helga said.

The two were now sitting beneath the bar with a fraction of Bourbon left, a dazed smile spread across Arnold's face followed by a violent hiccup.

"Ay 'elga, what?" he mimicked back.

Before she even said anything, Helga already began manically laughing from underneath the table, "I don' know if-if you knew this…" she paused for yet another hysterical laugh break, "but…your head…" hysterical laugh break. "…is really weird! Pfffffffffffffffffffffft!"

Almost as if he were oblivious to the fact that he'd just been insulted, Arnold joined her in her chorus of giggles. His eyelids were low and it felt physically impossible to wipe the smile off of his face.

"I just really love your boobs. Am I allowed to say that? Like ser'ously…they're like all squishy and warm…"

He looked down and realized his hand was cupped around her breast, "Oh shit! I am so sorry! FUCK, you are beautiful! W-will you just dance with me right now? You are so gorgeous. Please? I won't bother you again, I promise, I just need to dance with you."

Before she could even answer he swept her of her feet and swung her around the bar. As the pair of them danced to imaginary music, the room was filled with the sound of their berserk chortling and shrieking throughout the room.

"I love you Arnold Shortman!" Helga howled as he spun her around yet another time. The words were better than music as they echoed throughout the empty bar.

**Gerald and Phoebe**

"Mmm…mmmm… mmm!" Gerald hummed as Phoebe stepped out of the car, "I hate to see you go but I love to watch you leave!"

"Oh, Gerald, stop it!" Phoebe chuckled; her cheeks now matching the sultry shade of her dress. She spun around to hiding it from him, "So this is the infamous _Gerald's Spot_," she said, "I am honored to see it."

Gerald came behind her wrapping his arms around her; she felt extremely secure in his embrace.

"Yep, this is my baby. Gorgeous ain't she?"

Phoebe nodded taking both of his hands into her own, savoring their strong touch. "She is quite exquisite I must say…"

Gerald's lips found her cheek and drifted along the side of her neck, "If you find this exquisite," he whispered seductively, "wait till you see the inside…"

Weighing the possibilities, Phoebe found it quite possible that based on the amount of heat emanating from her cheeks; she could have at that point been completely camouflaged with her dress. Pulling him in front of her, she took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply.

"I'd love to see the inside," she whispered in return.

Now it was Gerald's turn to blush as the blood rushed to his face…and other places.

The two continued to kiss like two ravenous wolves satisfying years of hunger. They crashed into the door when Gerald reluctantly removed himself from her lips,

"You hear that?" he asked looking over Phoebe's shoulder.

The two of them pressed their ears against the door listening closely.

_Clang! _The sound of glass breaking reverberated through the room followed by shrieks of laughter.

"Someone broke into my club!" Gerald exclaimed frantically, "Damn it, Arnold must've forgotten to lock it. Hah, these assholes are gonna wish they didn't bust into my club…mmm-mmm. Excuse me Phoebe, I gotta take care of some business."

**Lila**

"I have to do the right thing," Lila insisted pouring her guest a glass of orange juice, "it's absolutely dreadful that I stood him up today; he deserves to know the truth."

"And what good will that do?" he replied in his slow, southern drawl, "You did what you had to on account o' the fact you ain't over Arnie. I reckon hanging around with another football head must really bite…"

"I'm glad you understand, Stinky," Lila said, "you're ever so easy to talk to."

"I'm glad you thank so," he replied, "Halfa the time people don' understand a damn thang I say."

"Well I do," Lila said, "and I'm ever so happy that I ran into you today; you've been such a great listener."

Stinky shrugged, "It's the very least I can do for an old friend."

Lila smiled warmly at her guest," Thank you ever so much, " she said, "I'm starting to believe it is my turn to do the least I can do for Arnold. I should really head over there and help him. You see he's nothing like Arnie. In fact, for as long as I remember, he has been ever so sweet to me; and this is how I've chosen to repay him."

"Sounds to me like maybe you chose the wrong guy. No need to beat yerself up about it though."

"You know what," she said, "you're absolutely right."

"I am? Cause I don' even know what the heck I'm talkin 'bout." he said.

"Yes!" she said with a brand new excitement, "I'll be right back, Stinky. Help yourself to all the lemon pudding you want in the fridge."

"Don' hav'ta tell me twice, " he said watching her fetch her house keys, "I hope you fix yer relationship issues!"

Lila smiled before exiting the door, "Me too, Stinky." she said and disappeared into the night.

**Gerald and Phoebe **

"Son of a gun," Gerald said as he and Phoebe peeked from the foyer, "That's was no break in, it _is _Arnold…and who the hell is this new chick?"

Phoebe laughed from her gut, "Gerald, that's _Helga!" _

Gerald's face crumpled into a grimace, "as in G. Pataki?"

She nodded.

"No way that's her…and with Arnold?"

"It's her Gerald."

He watched in disbelief as the two danced around his bar like idiots.

"Son of a gun," Gerald repeated, "really, Arnold? Helga? I guess whatever floats his boat…"

"I know it's hard to believe," Phoebe said, "but look at how happy they look."

Gerald unenthusiastically looked over at his best friend; he had to admit he couldn't recall the last time he saw him smile like that.

"Silly bastards don't even have music," he said warming up to the idea.

"Maybe we can change that…" Phoebe said, relieved by his change of heart.

Gerald smiled at the beautiful woman in his arms, "You know, I love the way you think."

Reaching into the top drawer, Gerald retrieved his universal remote, "and I have the perfect song to set the mood."

The music crept out of the speakers, and Gerald held his woman tighter.

"Gerald, you are so romantic…" she said giving him a quick kiss.

"Naw, just doing a couple of friends a favor" he said still grinning.

Phoebe teeth glistened as she returned the smile; then with a sly look she said, "Why are we letting them have all the fun? Maybe we should have some fun of our own…"

Gerald raised his eyebrows…"Oh?" he held out his hand as if to offer her a dance. When she did not take it, he was left with no other option but to gaze at her confused.

"Oh, Gerald I think you misunderstood my meaning, the fun I am speaking of would be more appropriately had elsewhere."

Pins and needles danced down Gerald's spine and the size of his eyes seemed to double.

"Have I ever mentioned, that I _love_ the way you think?" he said and then swept her off of her feet running as far as humanely possible from the place.

**Arnold & Helga **

The sound of saxophones and trumpets slivered out of the speakers leaving Helga and Arnold completely dumbfounded. If this was a hallucination it was very vivid and they both seemed to be having it.

"Who's the cheese ball who put on this sappy romantic music?" Helga exclaimed, "Show yourself!"

Arnold on the other hand did not mind at all, and could not care less where it came from. In a concise motion, he took Helga's hand in his own and gently tugged her back into him. Placing both hands on her waist as she flung her arms around him they both continued to dance slowly to the music.

_I was a fool to ever leave your side  
Me minus you is such a lonely ride  
That break-up we had _

_has made me lonesome and sad  
I realize I love you 'cuz I want you back, hey-hey_

_I spent the evening with the radio_  
_Regret the moment that I let you go_  
_Our quarrel was such_

_a way of learning so much  
I know now that I love you 'cuz I need your touch, hey-hey_

The sweet melody coaxed them to sway in each others' arms in a smooth and gentle rhythm.

_Reunited and it feels so good  
Reunited 'cuz we understood  
_

Each word was tugging at their heart strings as the tension grew thick between them. He watched her voluptuous, ruby colored lips parted into a dreamy smile; it was as if they were subconsciously begging to be kissed.

_There's one perfect fit _

_and sugar this one is it  
_

She closed her eyes and tossed her head back so close she could taste the booze on his breath.

_We both are so excited 'cuz we're reunited, hey-hey_

And as fate would have it, as he was just centimeters from her face the door busted open causing both of them to jump.

"Arnold?" Lila said stepping further into the bar

"Who the hell is- ouch!" Helga came crashing to the ground, "Damn it, you dropped me!"

"Sorry Helga!" Arnold exclaimed, offering a hand to help her up.

"Helga?" Lila said, "As in G. Pataki?"

Helga rolled her eyes getting up from the floor, "Will everyone please quit saying that?"

"L-Lila, whad-are-ya doin' here?" Arnold stammered, still very drunk, "I thought you said you had other plans."

"I did." She claimed, "Things changed, so I figured I'd take extra time out to help you."

"That's nice of you but Helga and I have everything under control," Arnold said failing at maintaining a straight face, "except this boner..." he murmured sloppily

Both he and Helga doubled over roaring with laughter; Lila, on the other hand, was clearly not amused.

"Have the two of you been drinking?"

"Absolutely not!" Arnold retorted, "Why on earth would two consenting adults get drunk on their own free time? Th-that's just unheard of!"

"Ha!" Helga spat, catching her breath from laughter, "So _this _is little Miss Perfect all grown up! Very good to see you! Oh and you still haven't told anybody right? Remember?" Helga motioned between herself and Arnold and then made a strangling motion with her hands.

Lila looked at the pair of them, "I kept my promise," she said, "but I'm ever so certain that I don't need to tell anyone; it has become a lot more obvious now…"

Arnold hadn't the faintest clue what either of these women were talking about.

"Don't worry, football head, it's an old inside joke," Helga said catching onto his curious expression; Now speaking to Lila she said, "He's not full of himself enough to notice; I'm not worried, sister."

Arnold chuckled, "I'd say you're not full of myself enough either..." The dirty little horn dog in his head was very dominant when he was drunk.

The drunken pair cackled at the incredibly stupid remark; while Lila stood there disgusted.

"Awww...what's wrong Lila?" Helga asked throwing an arm around her.

Lila flinched as she came in contact with her breath, "I find your jokes to be repulsive," she said removing herself from Helga's grip.

"Oh come on, Lila," Helga retorted, "Don't you try and shove your Mother Teresa mentality down my throat."

Arnold tossed his head back in frustration, "If you keep talking about shoving things down your throat this boner is never going away.."

With one last look of disgust, Lila shook her head, "I've had enough. I should go."

"Oh Lila don't-don't go, we were just kidding, you can stay if you want..." Arnold pleaded.

"But the fact is, I don't want to stay Arnold; in fact, I would be happy if I didn't see you for a while now... goodbye."

And before any more drunken attempts to persuade her could be made, she was already gone.


	8. Chapter 8: Mistakes

Disclaimer: _Hey Arnold! _does not belong to me, nor do the characters.

Side note: So sorry to keep you all waiting :(

Chapter 8

**Helga**

Sunlight poured into Helga's eyes as they abruptly snapped open causing her to immediately shut them in regret.

_Criminy who made the morning so frickin bright, _she thought bitterly, _this is a nightclub, you'd think the sun wouldn't even make it inside. _

She shut her eyes once again attempting to return to her pleasant dream before she could truly process her own thoughts.

_Nightclub? _They thundered in her skull with outrage, _Morning? _What was wrong with this picture suddenly became clear. She was lying on the floor in _Gerald's Spot_ using Arnold's sweater as a blanket accompanied by a shirtless Arnold who had an arm wrapped around her waist.

_The reunion is tonight and Arnold's too hung over to care… What have I done?_

"Arnold," she groaned shaking him softly, "come on, football head wake up…Hey Arnold!"

A smirk crossed his lips at the sound of her voice and Arnold only gripped Helga tighter.

Had it not been for the fact that the reunion was in less than six hours from now and the two of them were nowhere close to ready, she would have savored this moment (for a school counselor, his body was surprisingly drool worthy); but knowing how important this was to him she had to wake him up.

"Oh criminy, Arnold, would you just get up?"

**Arnold **_  
_

_The sun was exceptionally bright and made the passing creek glimmer beneath the elegant picnic in the park. Helga looked exquisite in a saucy sapphire gown that plunged down her neck line into a flirtatious V; her golden hair was pinned in an elegant up do and her voluptuous lips were curled into a naughty smirk._

"_I'm having an amazing time," she said leaning into him flirtatiously as more cleavage practically spilled out of her top. _

_Arnold smiled down at her…face. "That's good to hear," he replied, "because this is the best day of my life." _

"_I think it's mine too," Helga said leaning into him even closer. Suddenly a peculiar almost animalistic expression crossed her face and then she continued, "You know what would make it better?" _

_Arnold closed his eyes waiting for an upcoming kiss when Helga viciously grabbed him by the collar in a motion so violent one of the sleeves of her dress fell down her shoulder making her cleavage situation much worse. _

" _Get up, Arnold!" she moaned, "Get up NOW! I just can't stand it any longer football head, get up now for cripes sakes!"_

_Stunned and confused Arnold looked down at his slacks, "Whoa, Helga, take it easy. I'm already up, my boner hasn't gone away since last night…don't you wanna take things slow?" _

_As if she hadn't heard a thing of what he just said Helga continued to shake him by the collar, "GET UP ARNOLD! GET UP! WAKE UP!" _

"It's okay, I have a boner," Arnold deliriously insisted. As Helga came back into focus, he could see that her outfit became less revealing and identical to the one she wore the other night. The picnic likewise vanished and instead the two were lying on the cold floor of Gerald's Spot; outside of that, the animalistic look he remembered was replaced by a mixture of surprise, confusion and a future fit of giggles.

_I'm not dreaming anymore…_

A laugh crept out of Helga's pursed lips as she attempted to hold it in, "What did you say, football head?"

"Erm, nothing, I just woke up what are you talking about?" He said almost in one breath looking anywhere else but at her. The shit-eating grin decorating her face made it obvious that she was not fooled at all.

He sat upright immediately wishing he hadn't; it felt like he had spent the night before hammering pots and pans over his head; and his mouth was almost as dry as if he had chosen to eat an entire roll of toilet paper.

"Good, you're awake," she said choosing to ignore his first words of the day, "You feeling alright, Arnold?"

Arnold smacked his lips together, "I'm alright," he replied, "Just a little parched…"

"I'll get us some water," she said rising from the ground as steadily as she could.

When she returned from the bar, Arnold practically inhaled the ice cold glass of water. He noticed that she fetched one for herself as well but did not take a single sip; a glum expression touched her face as her fingers danced along the rim.

"What's wrong?" he asked her setting down his own glass, "You've gotta be parched too, the water will make you feel better, I promise."

Helga didn't take her eyes off of the ground and shook her head.

"This is all my fault," she suddenly said throwing him an apologetic look, "it's almost three o'clock, Arnold. You told me loud and clear you didn't wanna drink last night but I didn't listen…I am so sorry."

Arnold shook his head, intensifying the skull splitting headache he woke up with. "Hey, it's okay, and it's not your fault."

When her eyes still didn't leave the floor he continued, "Listen to me, Helga," he placed a hand over her cheek, "Drinking last night was my choice, whether you had the idea or not; I may not remember much of it but I don't regret it if you don't."

Almost paralyzed beneath the warm touch of his hand, her eyes captured his, "but the reunion…" was the only thing she managed to say.

Arnold shook his head again, not taking his hand from her face, "…is in 5 hours or so, and the decorations are still intact; minus the broken bottle of Bourbon we've gotta clean up, everything is okay, so stop blaming yourself, promise?"

If it were physically possible to melt under extreme emotional conditions, then there would have been an significantly large puddle of Helga G. Pataki on the floor that day.

**Helga**

"Looks like _somebody _had a nice night last night…" Phoebe practically sang the worlds as Helga dragged her feet past the kitchen where she and Rhonda and a tan woman with wild golden hair Helga couldn't recognize sat around the table with lunch.

"Helga Pataki you are grounded!" Rhonda chimed in teasingly as the table of women burst into roaring flames of laughter.

Helga couldn't do anything else but throw them a threatening hung over glare as she stormed over to the guest room.

"Please excuse me ladies, I'm gonna go see if she's okay…" she heard Phoebe say from the hallway.

**Arnold**

After all the missed calls were returned and the arrangements for the night ahead confirmed, it finally felt like Arnold could breathe again. Almost everyone he knew would be there, except for Harold who was still overseas fighting in the war. The excitement welling up inside of him was hard to contain but there was still one last person he needed to call. While he couldn't remember everything that happened last night he did know that Lila was very upset with him for some reason.

He was still trying to work out his own feelings for her; being honest with himself they were not the same as they were a couple days ago, but he still cared about how she was doing and didn't want her to be mad at him.

"I know that look anywhere I see it," came a voice from the front door.

"Sid," Arnold said coming out of his train of thought, "hey, what do you mean?"

Sid put his hat over his stringy hair and took a seat in on the first step on the porch next to Arnold, "I've seen that look before, Arnold. You're having girl trouble."

Arnold looked off into the distance as if to answer yes.

"It's okay, bud, it happens," Sid replied, "wanna talk about it?"

Arnold shrugged his shoulders, "I guess I have nothing to lose," he said, "Can you keep you keep this to yourself though?"

Sid listened intently as Arnold explained his situation. He talked about Lila; he talked about Helga; he talked so openly he almost forgot that Sid was there.

"I don't know what to do Sid," Arnold said, "not even a week ago I was drooling over Lila and she wouldn't look at me the same way. And with Helga, before then she hasn't even crossed my mind, and now I can't get her out of my head. She doesn't deserve to be my rebound no more than I deserve to be Lila's. I just want to be sure that that's not it; and it's _Helga_. If you don't remember we weren't exactly the best of friends growing up."

"I think I know what you're going through," Sid said pausing to light a cigarette, "in fact six years ago I was in a somewhat similar situation."

"What happened?"

"Well, six years ago a woman entered my life who I thought I never wanted to see again. For all the years we went to school together she was prissy, rude, looked down on almost everyone she encountered and not to mention she was spoiled rotten. She came back into my life when _Gerald's Spot_ was brand new and to Gerald and my shock, she was looking for work. To this day I don't know why Gerald said yes; she was a pain in everyone's ass: mine's, Gerald's and the customers'. Gerald threatened to fire her every day, but he didn't. Instead he left me to train her and that sucked too.

She was always insulting me, always insulting other people, and wouldn't do anything out of her comfort zone; it was like training a mule! I don't know what happened though…because the more I worked with her the more I could see she was really trying as hard as she could. Then I found out why she was there."

Now completely sucked in to his story Arnold listened intently, "What happened?"

"She changed my life; and now I don't plan on ever living without her again…"

Arnold had so many questions to ask, but judging by the distant look on Sid's face he thought it best not to pry.

"From what you described to me, Arnold," he continued flicking his cigarette bud into the street, "the feelings you had all this time for Lila sound a lot more phony than the feelings you've got for Helga. It sounds to me like you stopped yourself from being happy all this time for a woman that is still in love with your cousin, and now that you found something that actually makes you happy you don't know what to do with it."

"Well there's also the fact that she'll be returning to the other side of the country tomorrow night." Arnold added bitterly.

"So make it count," Sid said finally looking over at Arnold, "make it work. I only say this because I almost let the past keep me from the woman of my dreams; seeing how happy I am now makes me realize that that would have been the biggest mistake of my life."


End file.
